Nairobi Residents Alarmed As Historical Umbrella Tree Is Cut Down

• MCAs claim wanton destruction of huge trees in the city is a lucrative commercial enterprise run by senior county employees who sell firewood to various institutions and individuals in need.

By Adieri Mulaa

Nairobi Members of County Assembly have raised concerns over wanton destruction of age-long trees in the capital’s central business district by City Hall administration.

They noted that several trees had also been brought down on the outskirts of the CBD, without explanation from City Hall authorities or immediate replacement. They cited Uhuru Highway and Uhuru Park among the affected areas.

Last week, county workers from the environment department pruned the historical umbrella tree and some palm trees along Kenyatta Avenue, leaving bare trunks to the chagrin of city residents. 

The trees that were targeted for destruction also provided home to families of marabou storks for perching and nesting.

“These trees give Nairobi its intrinsic value as a green city in the sun besides providing other environmental values”, a Member of the County Assembly who previously served in the House environment and natural resources committee told The Times.

However, the County Deputy Director of Environment, Ms Susan Nyambura, denied claims of wanton tree destruction in the city. She said the palm trees had dried up on their own with time. 

She noted that marabou storks perched on the palm trees before moving to the historical umbrella tree on Kenyatta Avenue for nesting. The umbrella tree has since been pruned leaving a huge trunk.

“No one has cut the palm trees. They have dried up on its own with time. Marabou storks perched on it before moving to the Umbrella tree for nesting”, Ms Nyambura said in a brief statement.

Nonetheless, marabou storks perform an important natural function by cleaning the environment through their ingestion of carrion and waste. 

Increasingly, marabou storks have become dependent on human garbage, especially in urban areas. In Nairobi, hundreds of the big birds are mostly found around dump sites in the city suburbs, with many colonies at the expansive Dandora dump site. 

County employees who were interviewed said some trees were brought down or heavily pruned under the guise of keeping the birds away from the central business district and some suburbs.

The MCAs weighed in saying these were also clear indications of poor solid waste management by the county government, hence attracting marabou storks.

The historical umbrella tree on Kenyatta Avenue gave homage to the adjacent commemorative statue of African soldiers who were killed in the First World War between 1914 to 1918 and Second World War in 1939 to 1945, while fighting alongside British combatants for the colonial British government. 

Ms Nyambura indicated that the umbrella tree was pruned because it was a haven to the marabou storks. She said the pruned trunk was alive and would shoot if there is no interference from members of the public. 

But MCAs claim wanton destruction of huge trees in the city was a lucrative commercial enterprise run by some senior county employees who sell firewood to various institutions and individuals in need.

They say the presence of marabou storks provide lame excuse for the county officials to cut down or prune branches of all the targeted trees, leaving bare trunks to dry up.

Such wanton destruction, they said, was extensively rendered on Uhuru Park over the past few months when the public park was under rehabilitation by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

“We cannot sit back and watch as age-long trees in the capital city are destroyed while Kenya, like many other countries, faces acute global challenges caused by climate change”, said one MCA.

Nairobi MCAs will take oath of office this Thursday upon which they will elect the House Speaker and the Deputy Speaker before embarking on their legislative roles in earnest.

The county legislators say they will give priority to the county environment sector once they officially assume their constitutional roles and duty.

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